Mark Wahlberg Wants to Take Over Iron Man for Robert Downey, Jr.

Anyone who has been following superhero movies knows that Robert Downey, Jr. has signed on to return as Tony Stark in 'The Avengers 2' and 'The Avengers 3,' but his future as Iron Man beyond that is up in the air. It's unlikely that Downey (who will be 53 when the third 'Avengers' film hits) will occupy the role forever, and Marvel hasn't been shy about recasting the character should the need ever arise.

And that brings us to the weird news bit of the day: Mark Wahlberg wants to takeover the part.

In an interview with Yahoo Movies, the '2 Guns' star admitted that he'd like to put on the Iron Man armor when Downey eventually drops the gig. He quickly follows this up by emphasizing that he likes playing "real" people but also says he's "never been asked" to play a superhero. Are those grapes a little sour, Mr. Wahlberg?

It's tough to imagine Wahlberg (who excels at playing goofballs) pulling off the sarcastic and witty Tony Stark, so he's hopefully not sitting by the phone and waiting for the phone call. It's not like he's wanting for work either; he's the new human figurehead for 'Transformers 4,' so that's got to scratch that blockbuster itch.

Though, as Wahlberg mentioned, he was considered for the role of Robin in 'Batman Forever' and 'Batman and Robin,' which, of course, went to Chris O'Donnell. He puts it best himself: "Somebody dodged a bullet!"

What do you think? Is there an actor who is a worse fit for Iron Man than Wahlberg? Is there a superhero you'd like to see him play?